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Sigmund Freud's Theory Of Personality And Psychoanalysis

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Freud’s theory of personality and psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an neurologist and also known as the father of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud explored the human mind and developed some of the most influential theories in modern psychology and psychoanalysis. He developed a topographical model of the mind, whereby he described the features of the mind’s structure and function. For Freud, the mind is best conceptualized in three distinct components, the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. 1. Consciousness, which consists of those thoughts that are the focus of our attention now. Conscious ideas stem from either the perception of external stimuli (the perceptual conscious system) or from the unconscious …show more content…

These are hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions. a. The id, the most primitive of the three structures, is concerned with instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges. Id operated at an unconscious level according to the pleasure principle (gratification from satisfying basic instincts) including biological drives such as Eros and Thanatos. Eros, or life instinct, helps the individual to survive; it directs life-sustaining activities such as respiration, eating and sex. The energy created by the life instincts is known as libido. In contrast, Thanatos or death instinct, is viewed as a set of destructive forces present in all human beings. When this energy is directed outward onto others, it is expressed as aggression and violence. Eros is stronger than Thanatos, thus enabling people to survive rather than …show more content…

Defense mechanisms make good things feel better for the individual. Memories banished to the unconscious, or unacceptable drives or urges do not disappear. They continue to exert a powerful influence on behavior. The forces, which try to keep painful or socially undesirable thoughts and memories out of the conscious mind, are termed defense mechanisms. We use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise because we feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too demanding. With the ego, our unconscious will use one or more to protect us when we come up against a stressful situation in

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